Body panel reinforcement

Abstract: A reinforcement configuration is provided for an automotive body panel (12) which is particularly useful in the reinforcement of vertical planar surfaces through which tooling holes are formed. In the reinforcement, a depression (16) is formed about a tooling hole (14) which includes certain lower surfaces (15) formed to avoid the funnelling of liquid coating such as paint which are typically applied to the vertically extending surface and the production of automotive vehicle bodies. Funnelling is prevented either through providing a surface dispersing vertically running paint or by providing a reservoir for collecting vertically running paint.

Description: The present invention relates generally to the painting of automotive body panels and to configurations for stamping such panels. In the manufacture of motor vehicles it is necessary to locate and measure body panels during the assembly process. One method for effecting such measurement consists of using a local surface discontinuity, such as a tooling hole, as a locating surface to position the panel on the vehicle frame, as well as to determine panel and component dimensional tolerances relative to the tooling hole. However, there are drawbacks associated with use of tooling holes, one of which is a weakening of the local area of the panel. To regain strength and stiffness adjacent such a tooling hole a reinforcing circular depression encompassing the hole is often stamped into the sheet metal, e.g. as described in US patent 5 133 206. This can present problems, however, when a liquid surface coating such as paint is applied to the panel as part of the automotive assembly process. When the stamped depression is located on a vertical surface lower portions of the depression act as a funnel, collecting paint at its lower edge which in turn begins to drip out of the depression causing an imperfection in the form of a paint run. To remove these imperfections the area must be hand sanded and the application of a second coat of paint must be carefully monitored. This adversely affects the time and cost of the vehicle assembly process. One approach to preventing paint runs is illustrated in U.S Patent 5,104,682 to Nakahama et al. in which a four step paint application process is disclosed. In an effort to reduce paint runs the disclosed process requires rotation of the vehicle body about its horizontal longitudinal axis at a rate such that "the paint sprayed is not caused to move to a large extent due to gravity." Implementation of the four step process is economically impractical for the mass production of vehicles because the process is time consuming, and costly. It requires a large initial investment for equipment to rotate the vehicle, adds steps to the assembly process, and requires more employee supervision. DE-A 1 530 597 describes an automotive body panel having a row of fixing holes for a trim member in which a horizontally extending groove is formed in the panel below and close to the row of holes to receive and distribute excess paint. A similar groove may be formed above the row of holes. According to the present invention, there is provided a reinforcement for an automotive body panel positioned in vertically extending orientation for receiving a liquid surface coating thereon, the body panel including a generally vertically extending surface, the reinforcement comprising a tombstone-shaped depression formed in the surface and having an inner and an outer surrounding edge, with the lower edge being generally horizontal. The reinforcement may include a tooling hole, with the depression generally symmetrically surrounding the tooling hole. The surface between the lower inner and outer edges forms a non-funnelling surface which serves to collect excess liquid surface coating applied to the panel and to prevent it from running on to surfaces directly beneath the reinforcement so as to form a drip-run. In an embodiment of the invention the non-funnelling surface is a horizontally extending canted surface which serves to disperse the excess liquid along the lower edge of the depression. According to an alternative embodiment the lower horizontal edge and the adjacent inner edge of the "tombstone" define a reservoir to contain paint, thus avoiding a paint run. The invention will now be described further, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Fig. 1 is a partial perspective view of a vehicle showing the present invention; Fig. 2 is a front view of the prior art; Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 2-2 of Fig. 2; Figure 4 is a front view of the present invention; Figure 5 is a vertical cross sectional view taken along line 5-5 of Figure 4; and Figure 6 is a vertical cross sectional view similar to Figure 5 of an alternate embodiment of the present invention. During the assembly of a motor vehicle it is the practice to create tooling holes in various body panels for the purpose of fixturing panels and measuring tolerances of panels and vehicle components relative to each other and to the tooling hole itself. Formation of tooling holes occurs during the sheet metal stamping process. The body panel is exactly located on a punch press and the tooling hole and an encompassing reinforcing depression of circular configuration are formed in one mechanical operation. Figure 1 illustrates a partial perspective of an automobile 10 with a body panel such as a fender 12 including a tooling hole 14 and a tombstone shaped depression 16. Tombstone depression 16 serves to maintain the structural integrity of the body panel surrounding a tooling hole 14 and is operative to prevent excess paint from dripping from the tombstone shaped depression 16 subsequent to paint application as will be later described. An illustration of past practice in the formation of body panel tooling holes is shown in Figure 2, which illustrates the tooling hole 14 encompassed by a circular stamped depression 26 with lower edge 28 and displaying a paint run 22 which occurs due to the combination of a vertical surface, the force of gravity acting on the paint, and the circular configuration of the stamped depression 26 which acts as a funnel causing paint to flow to lower edge 28. As the paint collects at lower edge 28 it begins to form a run 22, which must be removed by hand sanding and careful repainting prior to delivery of the vehicle. This disadvantage is overcome in the present invention as shown in Figure 4 which illustrates the present invention configuration of the tooling hole 14 encompassed by the reinforcing tombstone-shaped depression 16, having an inner edge 17, a lower edge 18 and a canted surface 15 which is bounded by the horizontal edge 18 and inner edge 17 to define a non-funnelling surface of sufficient size to disperse the paint flowing from above the depression. As may best be seen in Figure 5, excess paint from the paint application process is distributed laterally to run vertically along the canted surface 15 perpendicular to the lower edge 18, which is generally horizontal with rounded corners. An alternative embodiment of the present invention is depicted in Figure 6 in which features similar to Figure 5 are preceded by the number 6 and a reservoir 19 is formed by lower edge 618 sloping inward toward the vehicle centreline to inner edge 617, lower edge 618 remaining flush with fender 612. The reservoir 19 serves to contain excess paint which may run down the vertical surface during the paint application process while dispersing the vertically running paint as does the configuration of Figures 4 and 5. While in the configurations described the tooling hole 14 with the tombstone-shaped depression 18 is located on the front vertical side panel of the automobile 10, it may be located on any panel of the vehicle for the purpose of preventing paint runs. Also, a tombstone-shaped depression is operative without the tooling hole.

Claims: A reinforcement for an automotive body panel positioned in vertically extending orientation for receiving a liquid surface coating thereon, the body panel including a generally vertically extending surface (12), the reinforcement comprising a depression (16) in the surface (12) having an inner surrounding edge (17) and an outer surrounding edge (18), characterised in that the depression (16) is tombstone-shaped with its lower edge (18) being generally horizontal. A reinforcement according to claim 1, wherein the reinforcement includes a tooling hole (14) and the depression (16) generally symmetrically surrounds the tooling hole (14). A reinforcement according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the lower edges (17, 18) of the depression define a horizontally extending canted non-funnelling surface (15) operative to disperse the liquid surface coating to avoid paint funnelling to the surface (12) beneath the reinforcing depression (16). A reinforcement according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the area between the generally horizontal lower edges (17, 18) of the depression forms a reservoir (19) operative to contain paint and to prevent paint runs on to the panel surface (12) from the application of paint on the body panel.

Inventors: BACINA PAUL RAYMOND, FUSCO JOHN JUDE, BACINA, PAUL RAYMOND, FUSCO, JOHN JUDE
Applicants: FORD MOTOR CO, FORD WERKE AG, FORD MOTOR COMPANY, FORD MOTOR COMPANY LIMITED, FORD-WERKE AKTIENGESELLSCHAFT
Application year: 1994
Main classification: B62D25
IPC codes: B62D25